Sometimes They Come Back
by kmd18
Summary: Haley is about to get married when some unexpected news arrives. Very loosely based on ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’ Will Haley follow her heart or make the biggest mistake of her life?
1. Here Comes The Bride

**Summary**: Haley is about to get married when some unexpected news arrives. Very loosely based on 'Sweet Home Alabama.' Will Haley follow her heart or make the biggest mistake of her life?

**Rating**: T for now

**Disclaimer**: As much as it pains me to say, I do not own James Lafferty ahem I mean I do now own any of the characters of the show _One Tree Hill._ Damn you Mark Schwann.

**A/N**: Here's a little rundown for everyone— Yes, this fic does contain Chris/Haley, as much as I hate that. I am Naley all the way. BUT, it will be Naley. I swear. And Peyton is married to Tim, Lucas to Brooke. Peyton and Tim are expecting their first child and Brooke and Lucas have twins, Elizabeth and Jake.

_**SONG**_

_Flashback_

Present

**I also want to thank my kick ass beta, Sep. Her penname is ****H. James-Scott. And she****'****s awesome. This story wouldn't****'****t be possible without her and half of the ideas are from her grey matter. I swear to not ramble this much from now on. So without further ado, I give you **_**Sometimes They Come Back…**_

_**Sometimes They Come Back**_

**Chapter One: Here Comes the Bride**

This was her big day. Butterflies flew around in her stomach as she waited for her father to come get her. In less than an hour, she would begin a new life with her new husband. The love of her life. They shared so many of the same interests and he was always there for her, through thick and thin. Yet, she couldn't't help but feel a slight twinge of pain over her past.

_**There's two things I know for sure**_

_**She was sent here from heaven**_

_**And she's daddy's little girl**_

_**As I drop to my knees by her bed at night**_

_**She talks to Jesus, and I close my eyes**_

_**And I thank God for all of the joy in my life**_

_**Oh, but most all for...**_

_She looked in the mirror knowing this was it. She was about to become a wife. And she was ecstatic. The moments seemed to flash by and before she knew it she was walking down the aisle. She looked up at him, her fiancé, her love. They would be together forever. Vows were said and rings exchanged. The couple was announced and they shared the perfect kiss, both forgetting about the outside world. They were so in love. _

_**Butterfly kisses after bed time prayer**_

_**Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair**_

_**Walk beside the pony daddy; its my first ride**_

_**I know the cake looks funny daddy**_

_**But I sure tried**_

_**Oh with all that I've done wrong**_

_**I must have done something right**_

_**To deserve a hug every morning**_

_**And butterfly kisses at night**_

A patient knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts and her father entered the room. "You ready?" He asked. For a moment, they remained in silence before she slowly stood and walked over to her father. She smiled at him and then linked her arm with his. She had been having dreams all week leading up to her wedding. They worried her even though she knew they shouldn't. That was the past. It was gone, another lifetime. She pushed all those thought aside as she and her father left the small dressing room.

_**Sweet sixteen today**_

_**She's looking like her mama a little more everyday**_

_**One part woman; the other part girl**_

_**To perfume and make up**_

_**From ribbons and curls**_

_**Trying her wings out in a great big world**_

_**But I remember...**_

"As I'll ever be." She, Haley James was about to marry the man of her dreams. Chris Keller. As they made their way down the hall to the grand ball room, in which the ceremony was being held, Haley could see her bridal party slowly disappearing into the room as the wedding had begun.

The soft melody of _Butterfly Kisses_ could be heard coming from the ball room, where all our Haley and Chris' family and friends were joined. Chris stood at the end of the aisle. His groomsmen consisted of his manager, Marcus, Haley's best friend, Lucas Scott, and Haley's cousin, Tim Smith. They wore black tuxes, with red vests to match the bridal party.

_**She'll change her name today**_

_**She'll make a promise and I'll give her away**_

_**Standing in the bride room just staring at her**_

_**She asked me what I'm thinking**_

_**And I said I'm not sure**_

_**I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl**_

_**She leaned over; gave me...**_

Lucas had been hesitant to attend the wedding at first, but had given in because it was his best friend who was marrying Chris. Lucas and Chris had never gotten along and Lucas was only making an effort, so as to not piss off Haley. He had seen the show Bridezillas and knew from experience that pissing off a woman about to get married can result in verbal abuse and bodily harm.

Opposite to the men stood Haley's two best friends, Peyton Smith and Brooke Scott, as well as her older sister, Taylor James; they all wore simple red dresses, with a black satin ribbon circling the dress, causing an empire waist effect. She looked over to see her mother and Karen crying softly. This made Haley smile even more. She loved both of them; Karen was like a second mother to her. The rest of her family sat in the front aisle with the two mothers. Haley's nieces had been the flower girls.

As Haley slowly made her way down the aisle she couldn't stop smiling at Chris. All the noise around her faded and all she could concentrate on was her fiancé. He stood there in a pin-striped black tuxedo, which had been designed by Brooke. Haley's dress was also designed by Brooke; it was a simple thin strap, empire waist, silk dress that trailed behind Haley and clung to her in all the right places. She wore her hair down in soft, loose curls and her makeup was natural.

_**Butterfly kisses with her mama there**_

_**Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair**_

_**Walk me down the aisle daddy; it's just about time**_

_**Does my wedding gown look pretty daddy?**_

_**Daddy don't cry**_

Haley was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she hadn't even noticed when the reverend had asked who was giving her away and her father had left her side. Blushing slightly she made her way up the tiny steps to where everyone stood. She joined hands with Chris and waited for the reverend to begin.

Everything was going smoothly, or so Haley thought. That was until half way through her vows, a scrawny man with short, spiky brown hair entered the room. Everyone turned to look at the intruder. However, Haley immediately recognized him. It was Mouth. He had been her attorney when she lived in Tree Hill.

"Excuse me. I'm deeply sorry for the interruption. My name is Marvin McFadden. I was Haley's attorney in Tree Hill. Uhm… Miss James, may I please speak with you in private?" The man looked nervous as he fidgeted with the envelope in his hands. Haley looked at Chris, both obviously confused, before walking back down the aisle to Mouth. They made their way to the back of the room, out of earshot of the guests.

"Hi Mouth. Uhm, can I ask why you interrupted my wedding?" She asked, slightly agitated. She crossed her arms over her chest waiting for a response. As much as she respected Mouth as a friend and an attorney, she was slightly annoyed that he had the nerve to interrupt her wedding. After all, she had sent him an invitation.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news but…" Mouth looked at the wedding guests, who were warily eyeing him, before looking back at Haley. "Uhm… Well I think you should take a look yourself," he said before handing her the large yellow envelope. Haley eyed it as if it might bite her before slowly opening it. Inside was a small stack of papers, marked with various colored page markers. Her eyes grew wide as she realized what he was holding.

She slowly looked up at Mouth. "This has got to be a joke. I signed those damn annulment papers!" Haley was aware she was being loud, but could care less at this point. Mouth had just told her that her wedding wasn't valid. "How is this possible?! I signed those papers!" Mouth looked at her with sympathy as tears slowly formed in her eyes.

"Nathan never signed the annulment papers. When I got your invitation, I didn't even realize you were still married until Nathan mentioned it last week. I tried to get him to sign these, but he refused. I think you'll be the only person to get him to sign them. I'm so sorry, Haley." By now Chris was at her side, holding her and trying to comfort his fiancé. He looked at Mouth, as if telling him not to worry. Mouth smiled slightly before leaving.

As her family looked on with despair and pain in their hearts, Haley slowly sunk to her knees, Chris following, and buried her head in his chest and cried. However, she wasn't crying for the reasons the congregation thought. But she was crying for the broken heart which Chris had fixed, for it was breaking all over again.

**A/N: The song is **_**Butterfly Kisses **_**by Bob Carlisle. If you haven****'****t heard it, you should. It****'****s a beautiful song. Please review. I want to know what everyone thinks. Good, bad? Any ideas? I****'****m open to anything. Next chapter should be up in the next few days.**


	2. Home Sweet Hell

Summary: Haley is about to get married when some unexpected news arrives. Very loosely based on 'Sweet Home Alabama.' Will Haley follow her heart or make the biggest mistake of her life?

Rating: T for now

Disclaimer: As much as it pains me to say, I do not own James Lafferty ahem I mean I do now own any of the characters of the show _One Tree Hill._ Damn you Mark Schwann.

A/N: Go to the following link and press play before reading. The song is the one mentioned in the chapter. It's not the words that are special, but the music itself. Trust me. Oh and thank you so much for everyone who left feed back or put my story on alert. You guys don't know how ecstatic I was to see that today. This is my first Naley story and the response is overwhelming. I love you guys! Oh and this chapter is short too, but when they're short I write more. Haha!

Linkage: 

_ Sometimes They Come Back_

Chapter Two: Home Sweet Hell

The next morning Haley was loading her suitcase into the trunk of her 2006 Honda Civic Sedan and kissing Chris goodbye. "I'll call you as soon as I get there. Promise," she said. She gave him a quick kiss and got into the car. "I love you." She started the engine and put the car in gear.

"I love you too." Chris waved as Haley pulled out of the driveway of their two story house in Charlotte. They spent their off-time their when they weren't in the studio. The two had met through music when Haley was 17. That was seven years ago. She had packed up her life to go on tour with him and The Wreckers, never regretting a second of it. They had started dating four years ago and had been engaged for two.

They were happy. Or so they both thought.

Haley turned on the radio to keep herself occupied. The drive from Charlotte to Tree Hill was about four hours and to say she was thrilled was an overstatement. As Haley pulled onto the exit ramp, MoZella's _Say It Ain't So_ came on the radio. It was a song Haley knew all too well. She had listened to it for months after going on tour. It wasn't so much the words that had moved her, but the music itself.

She sang along with the song as she cruised down the freeway. It also reminded her of him. It was the song playing on the radio the night she left him. Left her old life behind to start a new one. Haley closed her eyes for a second to try and forget the memories that seemed to flood her memory.

_Haley was kneeling in the tiny garden in front of the apartment. She had been pulling weeds and was waiting for Nathan to come home. As she looked up, she saw his car pull up in front of the complex. She smiled as she watched him unload the car with flowers and little bushes. However, as he got closer, her smile turned into a frown. It didn't take Nathan very long to notice this. "What?" He looked confused. Haley simply pointed to the flowers. It took Nathan a second to comprehend what she was getting at. "Oh! I'm sorry! They're still pretty?" He tried to look at cute as possible, but Haley wasn't buy it. _

"_They're pink. Nathan, pink. I HATE pink." Haley simply glared at him. Nathan was speechless. She was complaining about pink flowers. 'It must be that time of the month,' he thought._

"_Well, I can't take them back. Plus, it's not like everyone hates pink. Just you." With that Haley's jaw dropped. Had he really just said that? She slowly stood, still glaring, hose in hand, and suddenly smirked at him. Nathan furrowed his eyebrows before receiving a face full of water. Haley had the hose aimed at him and was in the process of soaking him. _

"_Nathan Scott. You know I hate pink." She finally put the hose down and looked at him. He looked really sexy all covered in water. He slowly started to approach her before she finally realized what he was about to do. "Oh__ no you don't!" With that she ran into the apartment trying to escape him._

"_Come on, Hales! I just want a hug!"_

"_No! You'll… you'll get me sick! Yeah!" __She ran into the bedroom and locked the door, she laughed with her back against the wall.__ After about twenty minutes she thought it was safe and slowly exited the room, only to be soaked with a bucket full of cold water. _

"_You're gonna pay for that, Nathan Scott!" Haley started chasing Nathan through the apartment…._

Haley sighed and turned the music up, trying to concentrate on other things.

Three hours and four rest stops later, Haley drove past the 'Welcome to Tree Hill' sign. She knew where she was going and turned onto the street as she came upon it. When the big red house was in view, she slowed before pulling into the driveway. She got out of the car and walked up the steps of the front porch. She knocked on the door and waited. A few seconds later, a curly haired girl answered the door.

"Haley! Hey, how are you?" Peyton pulled her friend into a hug before ushering her into the house.

"Well if you mean, how have I been since I found out I'm still married to my high school sweetheart, not so good. I didn't want to have to do this, ya know? I wanted it to be over, which I thought it was." Haley sighed before looking up at Peyton.

"Hey, it's not so bad. You just have to get him to sign the papers…" Peyton looked at her friend before realizing what she had said. "Yeah, that may take some time. Sorry." Both girls sat in silence for a few minutes before Peyton spoke. "Do you want some coffee or something?"

"Uhm, yeah sure. That drive made me kind of tired." Haley was grateful for the change of topic. She was hoping to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

"So… When do you and Tim find out if the baby is a boy or girl?"

"We have an appointment in two weeks. I'm really excited. I hope it's a girl. Tim wants a boy, of course." Peyton knew Haley was happy for her, but she didn't miss the pain that flashed across Haley's face at the mention of babies. "It's been 6 years Haley. I'm not trying to be mean, but you gotta move on."

Haley knew Peyton was right. So, her marriage had gone to shit. She was happy now. She was supposed to be married and knew she would be. It was just being delayed.

"I know. It's just hard. I could have saved my marriage, but I walked away." She was quiet for a moment before speaking. "I should go. I need to get this done with so I can get married." Both girls chuckled softly. Haley got up and hugged Peyton goodbye before leaving. She was not looking forward to her next visit.

Haley drove across town to the once familiar apartment complex. As she pulled into the parking lot she looked up and saw the same ugly pink flowers Nathan had planted for her. He had finally gotten her to give up over the flowers and had planted them. However, now, all that was left of them were the rotting stems and brown remnants of petals. Like her heart, the flowers had died long ago.

Haley got out of the car and made her way up to the apartment. She stood in front of the door for what seemed like ages. After what felt like an hour, she softly knocked on the door. After a moment, she heard footsteps approaching the door and then the knob being turned.

The door opened and Haley was blown away. Even after seven years he could make her feel like a school girl with a crush. But she was quickly ripped from her thoughts.

"I was wondering when you'd come to your senses and come back to me," said the man in the doorway, with a smirk plastered to his face.

TBC…


	3. Reminiscing

**Summary**: Haley is about to get married when some unexpected news arrives. Very loosely based on 'Sweet Home Alabama.' Will Haley follow her heart or make the biggest mistake of her life?

**Rating**: T for now

**Disclaimer**: As much as it pains me to say, I do not own James Lafferty ahem I mean I do now own any of the characters of the show _One Tree Hill._ Damn you Mark Schwann.

**A/N**: CHAPTER THREE! YAY! Okay so this chapter is going to be confusing. BUT! Don't worry. It will all work out. And I promise Naley-ness soon. Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing. You guys kick ass. Seriously. I want to thank Sep again. She's my beta. Without her this story would still be in the making. The other night we spent an hour coming up with all the plots and twists in this fic, so she's just as responsible for the success of this.

_**Sometimes They Come Back  
**_**Chapter Three: Reminiscing**

"I was wondering when you'd come to your senses and come back to me," said the man in the doorway, with a smirk plastered on his face. Haley simply glared at him.

"I see you haven't changed." Haley rolled her eyes. They just stood there staring at each other for a minute before Nathan stepped aside to allow Haley inside. _May as well be civil while I torture her. _A smirk appeared on his face again. "What?" Haley demanded.

Nathan just chuckled a little and shook his head. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. "You want anything?"

"Yeah, I want my divorce. Ya know, the one I was supposed to have four years ago?!" She stood with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. Nathan had never seen her look so beautiful. She was wearing a simple black tank top and jeans, with her hair down in loose curls. He always loved when she got angry, thinking it made her look sexier than ever.

_**To make a mountain of  
Your life is just a choice  
But I never learned enough  
To listen to the voice that told me**_

_**Hate will get you every time  
Always love  
Don't wait 'til the finish line**_

"Yeah… about that. I think I lost the papers?" He pretended to scratch his head as if actually thinking about it, but Haley knew he was just trying to be a pain in her ass. She sighed and turned to leave, but a strong hand wrapped around her wrist stopping her.

"Hales… Can we just talk? You just left and never came back… I didn't even get an explanation. Just a note." Haley could tell she had hurt Nathan by the pained look on his face.

"_Haley!" He shouted as he entered the apartment__ out of breath. They had had an argument that had resulted in him telling her that their marriage was over if she pursued her dream. He knew what he was doing was wrong. He was too much a jackass, however, to realize that. It had hit him at the docks, the place where they had first hung__ He knew if he let her get away, he would never forgive himself. He now searched the apartment for her, but found nothing except a small note on the fridge. It simply stated:_

_I'm Sorry. _

_She was gone. He had driven her away. And deep down he knew she wasn't coming back. It was then that he broke down and cried. It was the first time he had cried in years. He now knew how much she really meant to him. _

Haley furrowed her brow for a second before shaking her head. "There's nothing to talk about. It's over. What happened is over and has been for a long time. And you had the audacity to ruin my life. By not filing those papers, you lost all respect or feeling I may have had towards you! In an instant, you took that away! You make me sick…" If looks could kill, Nathan Scott would have died right then. Haley James was pissed and Nathan knew he had fucked up. But, he wasn't giving up just yet. "I have to go," she said before walking to the door and opening it.

She turned back around and handed him the large envelope in her hand and then looked outside at the flowers. She smiled softly before turning back to him. "You killed my flowers…" A sad look crossed her face and Nathan knew she wasn't sad because of the flowers. Whether or not they wanted to admit it, they both knew feelings still lingered between them.

"When you left, everything in this place died…" He offered her a small smile before she walked out the door and made her way to her car. He went to the door and watched as she pulled away. He then closed the door, looked at the envelope in his hand, and sighed. _It really was over._

Nathan sat in bed that night just staring at the papers in front of him. Deep down he had secretly hoped she wouldn't ever go this far, that maybe one day she would come back and they could be together again. He mentally kicked himself for the idea. _Of course she's moved. Stupid Chris Keller. _

Nathan sighed before turning on the TV. He was surfing the channels when he came across an entertainment channel covering Haley's never-happened-wedding.

"_What was supposed to be the best day for singer, Haley James turned out to be a girl's worst nightmare. Halfway through her wedding to fellow singing sensation, Chris Keller, the couple was informed that James was still married to ex-Spurs player and Tree Hill High's current basketball coach, Nathan Scott. The couple had married when they were seventeen, but the high school sweethearts realized the mistake when James left to go on tour with Chris Keller and the Wreckers. While no news of a postponement has been reveiled, friends and family are sure Keller and James will be happily married…"_

Nathan muted the television and watched as a video of Haley receiving the news was played on the screen. Nathan could have cared less, that was until he saw the look of defeat on her face right before she broke down in front of the wedding congregation. Nathan sighed and turned the TV off. He set the papers on the bedside table before turning off the light and falling asleep.

The next morning, Nathan woke to a loud banging on his front door. Muttering a few colorful words, Nathan slowly dragged himself out of bed and walked to the front door, dressed only in a pair of boxers.

"What do you want?" He asked, wondering why the hell Haley would choose to come by at… He glanced at the clock. 6:30 in the morning. His hair was mussed and his eyes were still slightly puffy with sleep.

"Did you sign the papers?" She looked extremely serious and somehow he felt like he shouldn't piss her off today. Too bad he didn't care.

"Nope." He smirked.

"Why not?" She crossed her arms over her chest and then pushed past him and walked into the apartment. She went over and sat on the couch before looking at him.

"Okay, make yourself at home…" He rolled his eyes and shut the door. He then walked back to his bedroom, only to be followed by a very angry Haley.

"Well considering we are still married… I guess this is MY home too." The smirk on her face mirrored the one he had given just moments before. Then a thought struck Haley. "You know what. Take your time signing those papers…" She grinned before turning to leave.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, nothing. I'll see you later." '_Oh this is going to be so fun! Thank God I had Brooke to show me how to spend money!' She thought._

"Wait, Hales." He looked at her seriously. "Why didn't you come back? Why didn't you try?"

"I can't talk about this right now…" She looked angry for a moment, but the anger was replaced by guilt and pain. Nathan wished he could understand what she was thinking. She turned and left the room. Moments later Nathan heard the door slam and a car start.

Haley sat in Peyton's kitchen chatting away with Tim about work and the baby he and Peyton were expecting. Tim was busy showing her pictures from the last ultrasound when he suddenly became serious.

"Haley, are you ever going to tell him? I think he deserves to know." Haley knew exactly what Tim was referring to, but she didn't feel like discussing it with him.

"I tried, Tim. You know that. I just don't see the logic in dwelling over the past. What happened happened and it's over. There's no need to relive it." Her eyes pleaded with Tim, hoping he would somehow understand what she was trying to tell him. He just shook his head before looking at her.

"I really hope you have thought this through, because one way or another, he'll find out. All he has to do is visit Keith."

It was then that Haley realized Tim was right, for once. She would tell Nathan, but not before he signed those damn papers.

Always love  
Hate will get you every time  
Always love  
Hate will get you

TBC…

A/N: Okay. I know this may be confusing the HELL out of some of you, but have no fear! The secret will be revealed… in chapter five! Haha. Some of you may understand what is going on if you really think about it, but if you do, DON'T SPOIL IT FOR ANYONE. Or I may have to beat you. Thank you for the comments and keep 'em coming. They give me the will to write. Lol. Updates soon! And the song is _Always Love _by Nada Surf. It's on the OTH benefit album.

A/N+: If I write chapter five today, I'll probably post four tonight. Sooo, review and maybe I'll find the strength to write before I go to work.


	4. A Woman's Touch

**Summary**: Haley is about to get married when some unexpected news arrives. Very loosely based on 'Sweet Home Alabama.' Will Haley follow her heart or make the biggest mistake of her life?

**Rating**: T for now

**Disclaimer**: As much as it pains me to say, I do not own James Lafferty ahem I mean I do now own any of the characters of the show _One Tree Hill._ Damn you Mark Schwann.

**A/N**: This chapter is supposed to be funny buffer for the story. Yes, Haley is bitchy in this story and so is Nathan, but what do you expect from two ex's who never talked about their issues? I'm sure everyone who has seen Sweet Home Alabama remembers the remodeling scene. I give you mine. Oh, and Tim will have his Dim moments. Just be patient.

_Flashback_

Present

_**Sometimes They Come Back**_

**Chapter Four: A Woman's Touch**

It was Wednesday morning and Haley knew Nathan would be at the school until at least six with the basketball team. Today was the day she was going to make Nathan Scott understand why he should sign those papers. However, until he did so, she intended on making his life a living hell. Haley and Brooke entered the Tree Hill Furniture Store and began the hunt for sophisticated furniture to replace the crap Nathan claimed was furniture.

"Why are we doing this again? Not that I mind because, hello, I was born to shop. But this seems kind of mean Haley." Brooke stared at her best friend for a moment.

"Until he signs those papers and gets the hell out of my life, I intend to make him miserable. And changing his… I mean our apartment is where I'm starting. After all, we have a joint bank account…" She smiled mischievously while showing Brooke the new Platinum card she had applied for under their name. Brooke giggled and began looking at some of the more expensive couches in the store.

"Haley James, I knew there was a reason why you're my friend."

"Hey!" Haley threw a pillow at Brooke's head and then disappeared to the table section of the store.

Eight hours and almost ten thousand dollars later, Brooke and Haley collapsed onto the new couch in the apartment. They both looked around and smiled at their work.

"I like it. I've been trying to convince Nathan for years that this place needs a woman's touch, but he never listened. Oh, Haley. He's going to be so pissed." Brooke looked serious for a moment before both girls burst into a fit of laughter. "Okay, I'm leaving before Nathan gets home. I do not want to be here for that disaster." Brooke got up and left Haley in the apartment.

She knew Nathan was going to be pissed, but she didn't care. She wanted her divorce. If he wanted his apartment back, he would have to give her her divorce. She just wouldn't tell him all his stuff was in storage until after then. Haley closed her eyes and shortly after fell into a light sleep.

Haley awoke from her sleep to the sound of the front door slamming. _Here it comes…_ She slowly lifted herself up on the couch and looked over to see a very pissed off Nathan in the doorway.

"What the hell did you do?!" He was seething and she knew she had gotten her point across. She stood up and looked at him, hands on hip, smirk on face.

"I thought it could use a woman's touch." She shrugged before walking into the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. "I think it looks nice. Much better than the mess you had."

In place of Nathan old black leather couch was some retro print couch that looked stiff as a board. The entertainment center was gone and in its place was a marble TV stand that had to cost about five hundred dollars. There was also a small 17" TV sitting on top of it. There were bookshelves on the walls full of books. None of his basketball stuff remained in the room. The walls were now a light shade of green. The pictures Peyton had given them at the wedding reception had been taken down and replaced with some Picasso knock offs.

"The mess I had?! I live here. Not you! You made that clear six years ago when you left! You can't come in here and metrosexualize my apartment!" Nathan was now pacing in front of her, but Haley seemed unmoved by all his yelling. However, she couldn't help laughing when Nathan said metrosexualize._ Is that even a word?_

"If you want to be technical, Nathan, we're still married! And if I remember correctly, we co-own this apartment! Therefore, I can do what the hell I want to it." She smirked before continuing. "With **our** money." At this, Nathan's eye so wide, Haley swore they were going to pop out. She then handed him the credit card in their name.

"You didn't…" He had a pleading look on his face. She grinned.

"Oh, I did. Now sign the damn papers or it continues. What was it you said to Luke all those years ago when you were hazing him…" She pretended to ponder the thought before looking him dead in the eyes. "It only gets worse." With that, she turned and walked out of the apartment and to her car.

She left out a tiny chuckle thinking about how well Nathan would sleep tonight on the couch when he realized he had no bed anymore. The new one she had ordered wouldn't be in for a week and judging by the kink in her back, she knew he wouldn't be getting a good night's sleep.

The next day Peyton and Tim were enjoying breakfast while watching the morning news when there was a knock on the door. Tim got up to answer it and was surprised to see Nathan considering it was nine in the morning. Today was a school holiday so it would have only been normal for Nathan to sleep at least till noon. Peyton looked up and took in Nathan appearance as he walked into the kitchen.

"You look like hell," she stated matter of factly. Nathan scowled at her.

"Yeah, well a certain ex-wife of mine decided to steal my bed and redecorate my house. I was forced to sleep on the 'couch' she bought me. I swear that thing is made of rocks." Nathan rubbed a sore spot on his back for emphasis.

"Last time I checked, she was still you wife."

"Thanks Peyton. I really could care less what she is right now because the only thing registering on my radar is BITCH."

Nathan walked over to the fridge to get some milk. He grabbed a cup from the cupboard and poured the milk into it. As he was placing the carton back into the fridge, something caught his eye. On the door of the fridge was a black and white photo. It was a sonogram. Nathan picked it up and looked at it before turning to Peyton and Tim.

"Is this the little guy?" Peyton looked up and upon realizing what Nathan was holding, sorrow flashed across her features. Quickly snatching it from him, she hesitated with an answer. "Uhm…" She looked to Tim for help.

"Oh yeah, man. That's the baby. Hey, uhm, Peyt can I talk to you in the bedroom real quick?" She nodded before getting up and following Tim to the end of the hallway and into the room.

The picture lay on the table.


	5. The Truth

**Summary**: Haley is about to get married when some unexpected news arrives. Very loosely based on 'Sweet Home Alabama.' Will Haley follow her heart or make the biggest mistake of her life?

**Rating**: T for now

**Disclaimer**: As much as it pains me to say, I do not own James Lafferty ahem I mean I do now own any of the characters of the show _One Tree Hill._ Damn you Mark Schwann.

**A/N**: _**ATTENTION! ALL READERS! PLEASE READ THESE FROM NOW ON! THEY HAVE VALUABLE INFO! LIKE NOT SPOILING STUFF FOR OTHER READERS. Thank you.**_

Anyways, here's chapter five. By the way, I tried putting breakers in between sections but hates me so I'm not bothering anymore. So, if you're confused… Uhm, sorry. Onto the secret being revealed. Yeah, I know all of you have been waiting for this chapter. Oh and keep reviewing. And send your friends to read. It makes me write more.

_Flashback_

Present

_**Sometimes They Come Back**_

**Chapter Five: The Truth**

As soon as the bedroom door was closed, Peyton turned and glared at Tim. She remained silent, crossing her arms over her chest. Tim looked at her and couldn't come up with a logical reason for her to be angry with him.

"What?" At times Tim was very scared of his wife. Especially when she was five months pregnant and having mood swings from hell. He swore she would kill him before the baby arrived. '_I really wish she wouldn't look at me that way,__'__ He thought._

"What?! Are you an idiot? Tim, I told you not to leave that out on the fridge. What the hell is wrong with you? I'd rather not have to explain that to Nathan!" By now she was yelling and Tim was really regretting his choice to talk to her. "Do you really think he needs that right now!?" She stared at him with wide eyes waiting for a response.

"I forgot it was on the fridge," he yelled back. He had put it up last week so each time he saw it, he would think about his baby. He smiled faintly at the thought. The smile faded quickly when he saw the expression on Peyton's face. "It's not like Nathan will figure it out. We're having a baby! It could be ours!"

"Tim! There is a name on that sonogram, and it's not mine! How do you explain that to him when he sees… Oh no." Her eyes grew wide once she realized she had left the sonogram on the kitchen table. "Shit…"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Nathan stood in the kitchen confused. He didn't understand what the big deal about a picture of his friend's baby was. He looked down at it briefly before making his way to the entrance of the hallway. He could hear Peyton ripping Tim a new one. He had always wondered what could get pregnant women so worked up. Maybe they hadn't wanted anyone to see their baby yet.

The yelling continued and Nathan thought it was amusing how Tim always got himself in trouble with Peyton. He shook his head and was making his way back to the kitchen, that was until he heard Tim say his name.

"…Nathan will figure it out. We're having a baby, it could be ours!"

"Tim! There is a name on that sonogram, and it's not mine! How do you explain that to him when he sees… Oh no." Nathan furrowed his eyebrows before going back into the kitchen. He picked up the sonogram just as the bedroom door flew open.

"Nathan!" Peyton came running into the room. It was too late, however. He stood there looking at the small 4x6 photo. On the top, left hand corner was a name, but it wasn't Peyton Smith. Nathan felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of him when he read it: Haley James-Scott.

He looked up at Peyton, fury in his eyes. How could she keep something this important from him? He then looked at the date on the photo and was even more furious. It was dated back six years. It had been taken a month after she had left Tree Hill.

"How could you, Peyton? I thought we were friends! Why would you keep this from me?!" He was almost screaming at her and she could see tears threatening to spill from his eyes. She stood there speechless. Tim stepped in front of her and looked at Nathan.

"Man, we were trying to protect you. You were grieving and we didn't want you to be hurt even more." Tim looked sympathetic, but he knew Nathan could have cared less at the moment.

"You knew too?! You all knew? Did anyone ever plan on telling me!" He looked at them, his eyes daring them to lie to him. When Tim didn't speak up it was Peyton who answered.

"We all knew…" She looked away, unable to stand seeing the pain in Nathan's eyes. She knew she had betrayed and hurt her friend and having to face it was too difficult. She knew why Haley hadn't told him, but it wasn't her place to disclose that information.

"I can't believe I ever considered you two my friends…" Nathan grabbed his coat before walking past them and opening the door. Moments later the door slammed, startling Peyton. She looked up at her husband with sad eyes.

"What have we done?"

"We kept a promise to Haley. It would have killed her to tell Nathan after what happened." He smiled at her softly and kissed her forehead softly. "Don't worry. One day he'll understand." Tim laid a protective hand on Peyton's expanding stomach before looking over at the kitchen table. The sonogram was gone. Tim sighed. '_Poor Haley,__'__ he thought._

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Nathan was back at the apartment and he was furious. Yet, he was more hurt than anything. He regretted yelling at Peyton and Tim, knowing they had probably withheld information because Haley had asked them to; but, he still felt let down by them. They had known for six years. He fumed at the thought of Chris Keller taking care of his kid. _'__He better not call him dad. I__'__ll kick Keller__'__s ass.__'_

Nathan wondered why Haley hadn't wanted him to know. If she had told him, he would have dropped everything for her. She had been his world. Hell, she still was. He didn't care about the dumb tour. He would have waited for her. Deep down he knew he was still waiting. A shred of hope would always remain in his heart. However, he felt that hope fading. She had hurt him. What had he done that made her think he didn't deserve to know about his child?

Nathan had to talk to her. He needed answers. Nathan grabbed his car keys and his coat before heading out of the apartment. He started his car and made the drive across town to Peyton's. Haley was staying there and he needed to apologize to his friends.

When he got there, he noticed Haley still wasn't back. She hadn't been there earlier, either. He walked up to the door and knocked. Shortly after, Tim opened the door and looked at him.

"Forget to say something or are you going to try to be civil?" Tim waited. He was slightly pissed at Nathan. No one yelled at his wife like that.

"I'm really sorry, man. I didn't mean to act like that. I was just… shocked." He paused. "Haley told you not to tell me…" It was more of a statement then a question, but Tim nodded anyways. "Why?"

"That's something you need to ask her…" Nathan could see the worry in Tim's eyes. As if on cue, the guys heard the beep from Haley's car locking.

"I'm gonna go talk to her… Tell Peyton I'm sorry." Tim nodded and Nathan opened the door before walking outside. He made his way down the front porch steps and stood in front of Haley. When she looked up, she jumped slightly, obviously startled.

"Nathan! What are you doing here? Is this about the apartment? All you have to do is sign the papers…" She looked up at him waiting for an answer. He looked angry. She then felt him shove something in her hand. She looked confused before looking down. She visibly paled when she realized what she was holding.

"Care to explain why the hell I'm just now finding out about this?" He noticed Haley looked really upset and was visibly shaking. A single tear rolled down her face, before she looked up at him. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"I need to show you something." Without waiting for a response she made her way back to her car and got it, starting the engine. She waited for Nathan to get in before pulling out of the driveway. They made the ten minute drive to their destination in silence. When Nathan realized where they were, he immediately understood why she hadn't told him.

"This is why?" He looked over at her. She looked awful.

"Not exactly. There's more." Without another word, she got out of the car.

TBC…

A/N: Flashbacks next chapter explaining why she never told Nathan. Oh and NALEYNESS! YAY! And yes, there will be Keller bashing. Doesn't it make you all fuzzy inside? Review! Or no cookies! I know… I'm crazy.


	6. Is It Really Over?

**Summary**: Haley is about to get married when some unexpected news arrives. Very loosely based on 'Sweet Home Alabama.' Will Haley follow her heart or make the biggest mistake of her life?

**Rating**: T for now

**Disclaimer**: As much as it pains me to say, I do not own James Lafferty ahem I mean I do not own any of the characters of the show _One Tree Hill._ Damn you Mark Schwann.

**A/N: **Thanks so much for the awesome reviews! I'm seriously amazed by how many hits this story has already had, over 4,000! I know I've added a lot of drama to this story, but everyone who loves One Tree Hill knows you can't have it any other way. So, thanks to everyone who has stuck with me and I promised Naley in this chapter and some Keller bashing and I promise to deliver. The song in this chapter is '_For Blue Skies_' by Strays Don't Sleep. It's on the OTH Friends with Benefit album. I chose to use this song not only because of the words, but the music. I encourage everyone to listen to it while you read this chapter.

ALSO, I used a Naley quote in here. If anyone can find it, I will let you read the next two chapters after my beta edits them and before I post them online. Here's a clue: Nathan said it to Haley in the first season in the episode with the Bid Bad Sex Issue. I will not tell you who says it in this chapter. First reader to correctly guess it wins! How fun. And read the A/N at the end of this chapter.

ATTENTION: **Congrats to crazyovrnaley. She won the Naley quote. I'm going to do this with every chapter from now on in all my fics. So, look out next chapter and keep the reviews coming!**

_Flashback  
_Present

_**Sometimes They Come Back  
**_**Chapter Six: Is It Really Over?**

"I need to show you something." Without waiting for a response she made her way back to her car, got in, and started the engine. She waited for Nathan to get in before pulling out of the driveway. They made the ten minute drive to their destination in silence. When Nathan realized where they were, he immediately understood why she hadn't told him.

"This is why?" He looked over at her. She looked awful.

"Not exactly. There's more." Without another word, she got out of the car and made her way through the old, rusted gates of Tree Hill Cemetery. Nathan sat in the car, shocked. He slowly got out and followed Haley's retreating form. He hadn't been to a cemetery since his Uncle Keith had died. He knew what she was about to show him, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to see the truth. When he saw her stop in front of a small marble stone, he knew where they were. Keith's tombstone stood next to the smaller one. Nathan stopped behind Haley and looked down at the engraving. Neither one of them spoke.

_Elizabeth Taylor James  
__July 5, 2003-July 6, 2003  
_"_Mommy Loves You,  
__Always and Forever_"

Nathan's hands clenched into fists as he read the stone. It angered him as he read it. He knew they hadn't been together, but he also knew that Haley knew he would have loved his daughter unconditionally, no matter what. He turned away unable to look at the stone anymore. He felt as if Haley had tried to erase him from their lives.

"I'll be in the car," he said angrily before leaving her alone. Haley stood there, knowing she couldn't explain her actions to Nathan right now. She wouldn't do it here, not in a cemetery.

_**It's been a long year  
**__**Since we last spoke  
**__**How's your halo?  
**__**Just between you and I  
**__**You and me and the satellites  
**__**I never believed you  
**__**I only wanted to  
**__**Before all of this  
**__**What did I miss?**_

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

About twenty minutes later Nathan saw Haley approaching the car. He was still angry with her and wasn't looking forward to the drive back to his apartment. Haley got in the car and started it. The drive back was the same as the drive there, only there was a heavy tension in the air. As soon as Haley parked the car, Nathan got out and slammed the door shut.

_**Do you ever get homesick?  
**__**I can't get used to it  
**__**I can't get used to it  
**__**I'll never get used to it  
**__**I'll never get used to it**_

Haley quickly followed him, but as she approached the door, Nathan slammed it before she could enter. Haley sighed before knocking on the door. She didn't think Nathan would be this angry. There was no response.

"Damn it! Nathan! Open the door!" Haley pounded on the door. She huffed in annoyance and began pounding on the door again. "Open the damn door, Nathan!"

About a minute later the door slightly opened. Haley waited a few seconds before pushing the door open and entering the apartment. She closed the door behind her and walked over to the couch where Nathan was sitting. She sat down in the recliner opposite to the couch. Neither said word to each other. Nathan took a swig of his beer before speaking up.

_**I'm under that night  
**__**I'm under those same stars  
**__**We're in a red car  
**__**You asleep at my side  
**__**Going in and out of the headlights  
**__**Could I have saved you?  
**__**Would that have betrayed you?**_

"How?" He wasn't concerned about what the stone said, but how his daughter had died. He looked up at her with anger in his eyes. Haley looked up at him and then down at her hands.

"I was seven months along when she was born. They told me it was caused by stress. I guess with the tour… and us." She paused before continuing. "When she was born, the doctors told me it was okay. I knew they were lying. They took her away from me the second she was born. I didn't think anything of it until later that night. When I asked a nurse what was wrong, they told me she had pneumonia and the chances of her living were very slim. Her immune system wasn't strong enough to fight the pneumonia. She passed away the next morning in my arms. She was about 12 hours and 45 minutes old."

A small tear rolled down Haley's cheek. She looked up at Nathan and saw a look of sympathy in his eyes. It was a while before Nathan broke the silence.

"Why didn't you tell me, Hales? Don't you think I deserved to know?" He looked at her with pleading eyes. He couldn't imagine why she hadn't told him. She had no reason. However, he felt he was completely wrong when he heard her scoff at his statement.

"Oh, I was going to tell you. I came back to Tree Hill to do it. You're the reason I never told you."

Nathan looked at Haley, obviously confused.

_**I wanna burn this film  
**__**You alone with those pills  
**__**What you couldn't do I will  
**__**I forgive you  
**__**I'll forgive you  
**__**I'll forgive you  
**__**I forgive you**_

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

_Haley was nervous and anxious. Hell, she was feeling everything that was not good. She had been on tour for two months now, but she found herself back in Tree Hill. She had to tell Nathan. He had to know they had a child together. She was hoping he would accept it. She would do anything for him, and if it meant leaving the tour to raise their child and have another chance at marriage, she would do it in a heartbeat. _

_She got out of the car and made her way up to their apartment. Was it still theirs? She walked past the small garden and looked down at it. The flowers were slightly wilted and looked like they would be dead by the end of the week. Yet, something caught her eye. Next to the ugly pink flowers were small purple flowers. They were the ones from their wedding site. She smiled and bent down to pick one. _

_She then walked up to the apartment, but refrained from knocking when she heard something coming from the window to the living room of the apartment._

"_Nathan… Come on. We're just having fun…" There was a small giggle. Haley made way over to the window and looked in. What she saw shocked her._

"_No, Rachel we're not. I'm married. You need to leave." Rachel Gatina was sitting on HER husband's lap. And by the looks of it, she looked very comfortable._

"_That's not what you said the other night." She slowly trailed a finger down his chest. Nathan pushed at her to get off of him._

"_That was a mistake. I was drunk. I can't do that to Haley, not again." He stood up and went to the door, hoping Rachel would get the clue._

"_She's gone, Nathan. She's not coming back. Plus, you two weren't even good together. Did you really pity her so much that you went as far as to marry her? God, you're pathetic."_

"_Just leave. Please." Haley was stunned. She slowly turned and made her way down the walkway and back to her car. What was supposed to be a night of happiness for her had turned into a night of hell._

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Nathan looked at Haley knowing he couldn't argue with her about this. She was right. He had slept with Rachel, but it had been a mistake.

"I'm sorry…" He looked at her, but she wasn't looking back. That's when he noticed she was holding something in her hand. It was her ring, the ring he gave her on their wedding day. She set it on the table in front of her before getting up to leave. She bent down to grab her purse when Nathan noticed something on her back. The tattoo.

"You didn't get rid of it?" He pointed to her back so she knew what he was talking about.

"Up until today, I had no reason to." With that she walked past him and over to the door. "I loved you, Nathan. I can't help that I fell in love with you. I gave you my heart. I know I hurt you, but you hurt me in ways that can't be forgiven, at least not now. Maybe one day, but I do know this. I could never be with you, ever again." She opened the door and walked out, out of the apartment and out of his life.

_**For blue, blue skies  
**__**For blue, blue skies  
**__**For blue, blue skies  
**__**For blue, blue skies  
**__**I'll forgive you**_

TBC….

A/N: Dun dun dun! This doesn't really pertain to the story, but everyone should do this. If you have the first season DVD, put the last disc in your DVD player. When the menu pops up, go to features and click on the commentary with Sophia Bush, Chad Michael Murray, Hilary Burton, Bethany Joy Lenz, and James Lafferty. Just watch it. It is hilarious!


	7. Wanting

**Summary**: Haley is about to get married when some unexpected news arrives. Very loosely based on 'Sweet Home Alabama.' Will Haley follow her heart or make the biggest mistake of her life?

**Rating**: T for now

**Disclaimer**: As much as it pains me to say, I do not own James Lafferty ahem I mean I do not own any of the characters of the show _One Tree Hill._ Damn you Mark Schwann.

**A/N: **Hello, lovely readers. I'm doing the Naley quote again. Congratulations to **crazyovrnaley**. She was the winner for Chapter 6. I came up with a few rules:  
1.You must name the quote.  
2. Who said it originally?  
3. And you can only win once per story.

Oh and include your email in the review if you're guessing because, for some reason, the PMs on ff don't show emails. Thanks for all the lovely reviews. I promise there is Keller bashing and Naley fluff in this chapter.

Congrats to **truckcoff** for winning the quote.

_Flashback  
_Present

_**Sometimes They Come Back  
**_**Chapter Seven: Wanting**

Haley pulled into Lucas' driveway the next morning. Lucas and Brooke had gone to California for a few days to visit Brooke's family and had gotten back to Tree Hill the night before. Haley had wanted to talk to Lucas the night before, but had decided against it because it had been too late. She walked up the walkway to the door and knocked.

Moments later she heard speedy footsteps coming to the door. The door flew open and she was met by two children, who looked about four years old. The taller was a boy with brown hair and light blue eyes, obviously Lucas' genes. The other was a girl with straight blond hair and brown eyes.

"Who's you?" asked the girl. Haley chuckled and squatted so she was at eye level with them.

"I'm Haley. I'm friends with your mommy and daddy. Who might you be?"

"I'm Elizabeth and he's Jake. He's my brother, but I'm older." The girl smiled proudly. _Elizabeth must be a popular name. _

"Well, can I come in and talk to your dad?" The little girl shook her head.

"Nope, we can't let strangers in the house. You're a stranger." The boy nodded in agreement.

"No, I'm not a stranger. I know your parents."

"Oh." The girl looked at her brother before running down the hallway. "MOMMY! THERE'S A STRANGER AT THE DOOR!!"

"Elizabeth, you know not to open the door to strangers!" Moments later Haley saw Brooke rushing down the hallway towards the door. She slowed down when she looked up and saw Haley. "Haley! Jake let her in." She bent and picked up Jake before closing the door after Haley.

"Hey Brooke. How was the trip?" She followed Brooke down the hallway and into the living room.

"It was great. My parents are really making the effort to be grandparents. I guess they realized they need to make up for their lack of parenting with me. Hold on. I'll go get Lucas."

She put Jake down before leaving the room. Haley looked around the room, noticing a wall full of pictures. She walked over to them; there were so many of them ranging from high school to recently. They had tons of family pictures and several wedding photos. Haley stopped scanning the pictures when one in particular caught her eyes. It was from their junior prom when Nathan and Haley had been crowned King and Queen. In the photo they were slow dancing and Haley was looking into Nathan's eyes with love and affection. Nathan was smiling at whatever she was telling him.

"Hey stranger." Haley turned to see Lucas. She went over and hugged him.

"Hey. I heard the trip went well…" She sat down on the couch. Lucas nodded.

"Yeah. Brooke's parents were excited about the kids. "Figures, huh?" Haley only nodded. "So what brings you here? Oh, can I get you anything?"

"No, it's okay. I just wanted to come over and see how you guys are doing." She looked away from him and back to the picture that had captured her attention. Lucas followed her glance. He smiled.

"So, how's the Nathan situation?"

"It's fine. He's an ass, but he knows it's over. Plus, I'm with Chris now." _Who hasn't called me in five days. Jerk. _

"Yeah. How is Chris?" Lucas knew there was more to the Nathan situation than Haley let on, but he wasn't going to pry.

"Great. We're good." She nodded. "Yep."

"Haley… You're my best friend and you know I would never lie to you. What's really going on?" _Screw not prying. _He was worried about her.

"Honestly… I came here to get a divorce. I'm in love with someone, and it's not Nathan. Yeah, it hurts to be around him knowing how things ended and being reminded of the baby. But, I know it's over and there's nothing I can do about it."

"You can always do something about it… Look I know it's not my place to tell you this, but Chris is an ass. He's no good for you. It's a shame that you're giving up on true love because Nathan made a mistake. We both know you're still in love with him, whether or not you want to admit it. You shouldn't settle for second best. Chris isn't the person for you. He killed your marriage and now you're going to marry him? He's a jerk and he has no consideration for other people. Why do that, Haley? You're better than that. "

"I agree," said a voice from the doorway. Haley looked over to see Brooke. "Follow your heart, tutor girl. Eventually, it'll set you right." With that, Brooke left the room to go feed the kids. Lucas was disappointed. His once independent and strong friend had fallen dependant on a man, and one that was not good for her. He hoped she would come to her senses before she made the second biggest mistake of her life.

They spent the next hour catching up before Haley left.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Nathan sat at the island in his kitchen, pen in hand and papers on the surface in front of him. He didn't want to sign the papers, but Haley had made it apparent that she wanted nothing more to do with him and they were finally over. That was all he needed. He needed to hear her tell him there was no more them. He sighed before signing the various lines in the document. He was officially divorced.

Nathan slid the papers back in the envelope. He looked down at the ring on his left ring finger before removing the gold band and dropping it into the envelope. He never imagined he would still be in love with the girl he had married seven years ago. He had messed up and had lost her. She would soon marry the reason their marriage had fallen apart in the first place and there was nothing he could do to stop her.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Hey Peyton. Have you seen my cell phone? I need to call Chris." Haley walked into the kitchen looking for the lost item. Peyton looked up from her sketch and sighed.

"Haley, be real. You haven't talked to him since you came here and you think he's really going to answer? He's a jerk. I don't know what you see in him." Peyton went back to her drawing.

Haley just stared at her, trying to convince herself Peyton hadn't just bashed her fiancé in front of her, before walking back to the room she was staying in. _What is this? Bash Chris and Haley day? _She had wanted to leave a few hours earlier, but was stuck looking for her cell phone. _Please tell me I didn't leave it at Nathan's. _

"Oh, shoot! Papers." Haley got her keys and walked out of the room. "Peyt, I'll be back in a little while."

"Yep."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

It was 10 P.M. and Nathan was getting ready for bed when there was a knock on his door. He wondered who it could be because it obviously wasn't Haley. Nathan walked through the apartment and to the door before opening it.

"Oh. It's you." He walked away from the door and back to his room, leaving Haley on the front porch. She walked in and closed the door, then made her way back to the room.

"I think I left my cell phone here and the divorce papers." She crossed her arms and looked at him.

"Yeah. They're on the table in the kitchen. Lock the door on your way out." He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her. She didn't move. "You can leave now."

"Nathan. I'm sorry… about earlier. I said some pretty mean-"

"Yeah, you did, Hales. You were a bitch, but it doesn't make what you said hurt any less. Why don't you just get your stuff and leave?"

"Could you just shut up for two seconds? I wasn't finished. I said some pretty mean things and I was saying sorry. I also wanted to apologize for the way I left… I never meant for it to be that way. You just… you put me in a hard situation."

"How? You wanted to leave, leave me and your friends. For what? Chris Keller?" Nathan got up and walked over to her.

"No. You know I left for the tour. Not him. And maybe if you would have picked up the damn phone every once in a while, you would have known that!" She looked up at him, hoping he would understand.

"You called our voicemail. You could have come home!"

"Well, at least I called. I also left a message."

"Yeah, I deleted it." He looked up at her and dared her to try and continue defending her choice. But the next words out of her mouth shocked him.

"Well... Then you deleted this: Um... I was being childish when I walked away from you for the tour. You gave me an ultimatum the night that I left and, uh, I fought back for all the wrong reasons. I was being stubborn... and I can't take that back, I wish that I could. Did I want to go? Yeah. I loved it, I loved every night of it. But I want you to know something Nathan. There was never a night where I loved it more than I loved you." There were tears forming in her eyes as the feelings started rushing back. She couldn't take it anymore. She had tried to deny the feelings she knew were present, but she was slowly losing that battle.

"Hales… I'm sorry. I just didn't know what to do without you. You hurt me…" He cupped her cheek and ran his thumb back and forth across her skin.

"I never meant to…" Her voice was a whisper now. She looked up at Nathan. Before she knew what was happened, Nathan was moving closer to her and their faces were inches apart.

"Haley…" Before he said anything, he leaned down and kissed her softly. She hesitated for a moment before kissing him back. Nathan wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer and the kiss intensified. When breathing became necessary they pulled apart. Nathan leaned forward again, this time kissing the sensitive spot he remembered on Haley's neck, eliciting a soft moan from her.

"Nathan…" She knew she shouldn't be doing this, but it felt so good and she and Chris hadn't been very intimate lately. Hell, she couldn't remember the last time she had sex. Nathan stopped, but remained with his lips against her neck. "We shouldn't be doing this…"

Nathan moved his head so he was looking at her. He moved forward slowly to kiss her again, waiting to see if she tried to stop him. When she didn't, he kissed her again, but this time with more intensity. Haley wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back. Nathan pulled away for a second and Haley looked at him confused.

"If we keep doing this, I don't know if I'll be able to stop. So, tell me now if you don't want to do this." She looked away for a second and then looked back at him. She kissed him softly, answering his question.

TBC…

A/N: Yay for Naley fluff. Be kind, review.


	8. Grateful

**Summary**: Haley is about to get married when some unexpected news arrives. Very loosely based on 'Sweet Home Alabama.' Will Haley follow her heart or make the biggest mistake of her life?

**Rating**: T for now

**Disclaimer**: As much as it pains me to say, I do not own James Lafferty –ahem—I mean I do not own any of the characters of the show _One Tree Hill._ Damn you Mark Schwann.

**A/N: **So, I decided no more quoting, unless I get bored. It was just a pain in the ass last chapter trying to find a quote. But congrats to Truckcoff on chapter seven. Anywho, onto the important stuff. Haha. I said this fic would be short, but I've decided to take a different route. The original plan wasn't as realistic as what I've come up. The story will not be finished by July 14. I will be going out of town the 15th, so there won't be any updates till July 23rd. I think. Maybe I'll find time to write.

Sorry if this chapter isn't what everyone wanted, but for those of you who think Naley is happily ever after now, just bear with me. It will happen. I swear on my writing fingers. J

Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BETA!!

_Flashback  
_Present

_**Sometimes They Come Back  
**_**Chapter Eight: Grateful**

Three Months Later…

Haley stood in the large ball room at Shangri-La Hotel in Charleston. It had been less than five months since her world had been turned upside down in this very room. She looked around at all the decorations being assembled and all the people running around trying to put together the wedding ceremony. A small wave of nausea pulled Haley from her thoughts and she turned back to her fiancé, who was paying less attention to the priest. Neither of them understood the reason behind having a rehearsal ceremony when they had done it before.

Haley looked over at Brooke who was making obscene, sexual gestures at Lucas. Peyton was picking at the nail polish on her nails. _Oh, she better get rid of that black filth on her nails._ Peyton looked up to see Haley glaring before looking back at her fingernails. Haley looked over at the groomsmen and saw Lucas, whose eyes were wide and slightly glazed over. Tim was busy staring at a stain on the wall; he was probably arguing with himself about what it looked like.

"All right people! That's it. Thank you for the great rehearsal and we'll see you tomorrow at three," announced the wedding planner. Everyone began to shuffle out of the room, leaving the wedding decorators, as well as Haley and her fiancé in the room. Haley felt a strong set of arms encircle her waist before turning in them to look up at her fiancé.

"Hey you." She stood on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. "That was the biggest waste of an hour of my life."

"Yeah, but tomorrow's the real thing. It's gonna be great. So what do you want to do now? We have three hours till the rehearsal dinner."

"I'm kind of hungry."

"Again? Haley, you just ate like an hour ago and, no offense, but I think you're gaining weight." Haley punched him in the chest before moving away from him.

"You know, you don't have to always mention that I'm fat! I'm nervous and when I'm nervous I eat!"

"You weren't like this last time…" He moved towards her slowly, but when Haley raised her fist he stopped.

"That's because I wasn't pregnant last time! It's your fault, Chris!" Moments later, Haley stormed out of the room.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Brooke and Lucas lay in bed later that afternoon. After the rehearsal ceremony, they had made their way up to their room and spent the afternoon relieving each other's stress. Brooke snuggled closer to Lucas before speaking.

"Hey Luke… I'm worried about Haley. She looked all distancey at the practice today."

"I'm sure she's okay. She's probably just nervous about the wedding." Lucas kissed the top of Brooke's head. He knew what she was trying to get at and he was having the same thoughts.

"I think she misses Nathan. It just seems like maybe something happened between them. There's a lot there and they haven't dealt with what happened. What if something did happen, Lucas?" She looked up at him concerned.

"If something happened, it's for them to deal with. They haven't had anything for seven years. Brooke, just stop worrying. Okay?"

Brooke sighed. "Fine. But don't say I didn't tell you so."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

"Hey Tim, have you seen my red dress? It was in the closet." Peyton walked out of the bathroom, brushing her hair. She looked over at the bed only to see Tim sleeping. "Tim! Get up and help me find my dress, you lazy ass!" She threw a half empty water bottle at him causing him to jump slightly.

"Huh? What's going on?" Tim looked around scared. He then saw Peyton standing at the foot of the bed, arms crossed and obviously pissed off.

"My dress, Tim. I need to find my dress!"

"Calm down woman! God, are all pregnant women this crazy?"

"I'm not crazy! I'm pregnant and hormonal! And you are not helping."

"It's in the closet. I put it in a dress bag. Now leave me alone." Tim rolled over and hugged the pillow next to him. Peyton walked over to the closet and looked in the black dress bag hanging up. She pulled out the dress and went into the bathroom to get ready.

"Stupid men."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Nathan sat in his apartment watching ESPN. There were reruns of old basketball games on. It had been three months since Nathan had woken up alone with a note from Haley on his pillow. He hadn't been as surprised as he thought he would be. She was gone and somehow, he knew it had been coming. What had happened had been a mistake. Haley had moved on and now he would.

_Nathan woke up the next morning to the sound of his alarm clock. Memories of the night before came flooding back into his mind. Nathan smiled and rolled over only to find an empty cold space in his bed. The space that Haley had occupied the night before was cold and empty. Maybe she had gone to get breakfast. However, when Nathan saw the note on the bedside table, he knew that wasn't the case. She was gone. He picked up the note and sighed. After a minute he opened the note and began to read._

'_Nathan,_

_I never thought we would be here once again. When I left for the tour seven years ago, I didn't imagine coming back or having a baby. I never imagined I would be back here once again, falling in love all over again. And as much as it pains me to let go again, I have to. I can't allow myself to go there ever again. What we had was special, but it's gone now. We're different people with different lives._

_I don't regret last night or last week. It has allowed me to realize how different we are now. I have a new life and I can't allow you to be a part of it. I'm with Chris now and I want you to know, it never was about him. I know you blame it on him and I know that will never change, but it never was his fault. He was there for me when you weren't. I needed him. And I'm going to marry him. _

_Thank you for all the memories and allowing me to open my eyes. You'll always have a place in my heart, but it's time we both move on. _

_-Haley_

_P.S. When you visit Elizabeth, tell her mommy misses her.'_

_A tear rolled down Nathan's cheek. She had given him a glimmer of hope and as quick as it appeared, it disappeared. She was going to marry Chris and he couldn't stop her. He wouldn't. It was time to leave her to live her life._

Nathan sighed and turned the television off. He got up and went into his bedroom to get ready to go to sleep.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

The rehearsal dinner that night was held down the street from the hotel at a small Italian restaurant. The only people there were Haley's and Chris' families, as well as the wedding party. Everyone sat around a long table chatting about the wedding and how excited they were. Haley and Chris sat across from Brooke and Lucas, with Tim and Peyton to the right of them. When the waiters had come around to serve the champagne, Brooke noticed Haley turn down the offer. She thought this was weird since Haley never turned down a drink.

As the guests took their turns speaking about the couple, Haley remembered the speeches Brooke and Lucas had given at her wedding to Nathan.

_Lucas stood in front of all the guests with a champagne glass in hand and a smile on his face. He looked at Nathan and Haley before speaking. _

_  
"__The last time I gave a speech about Nathan and Haley was... well, at the first reception. I remember saying "prepare to be surprised." Well, I have to say even I was surprised because, you see, they do something that's very rare to see in someone our age. Actually, it's very rare to see in anybody. They give their hearts to each other. Unconditionally. And that's what true love really is. It's not this fairytale life that never knows pain, but it's two souls facing it together and diminishing it with unconditional love. To Nathan and Haley Scott."_

_Everyone clapped as Brooke came up next to the couple and began her speech. _

"_I'm not the most eloquent speaker, so I thought I would borrow a few words from Shakespeare. Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds. When life gets hard, when things change, true love remains the same. I look at Nathan and Haley, and somehow I feel safer. I don't know if I can explain that, but they give me hope. And I'm afraid to say it out loud because maybe if life finds out, it'll try to beat it out of them, and that would be a shame because we all can use a little hope sometimes, you know? That feeling that everything is gonna be okay and that there's going to be someone there to help make sure of that. So, here's to Nathan and Haley. Here's to hope, and here's to a love that will not alter."_

_The rest of the night had been amazing and after the reception Haley and Nathan had left on their honeymoon. It had been the best week of their lives. _

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Haley excused herself from the table and made her way to the bathroom. A few minutes later Peyton and Brooke walked in, both with their arms crossed. Haley looked at them with wide eyes.

"What?" She asked.

"Give it up, tutor girl. Something is up and we want details." Brooke turned and locked the door to the bathroom so no one could walk in on their conversation. Brooke was determined to get to the bottom of this.

"There is nothing wrong you guys. I mean it."

"I'm not buying it." Peyton moved closer, scaring Haley. She raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, what's going on, Haley? We're your friends."

"Okay fine. I found out I was pregnant last week and Chris and I got in a fight over it." Brooke and Peyton were stunned silent for a second before squeals of joy erupted.

"Oh my god, Haley! That's awesome!" Brooke hugged Haley before moving to let Peyton hug her.

"Yeah, that's great. How far along are you?" Haley was silent. She looked at them before looking away.

"Three months," she mumbled quietly.

"What?" Brooke said because she couldn't hear Haley.

"I'm three months pregnant." Brooke and Peyton didn't understand why Haley was being so timid about the subject. That was until she looked up at them with tears in her eyes.

"Oh no. Haley…" Brooke looked at her seriously. "You slept with Nathan…"

"Why did you do that?" Peyton was obviously less sympathetic about the subject. She looked angry and disappointed.

"It was an accident! I wasn't thinking. Okay? I let my feelings get a hold of me." The tears started streaming down her face. "I didn't want for this to happen. I really didn't." She shook her head. Brooke hugged her.

"Tutor girl… Why are you still with Chris? You're so in love with Nathan, but you won't allow yourself to admit it."

"Yeah, and what are you going to do about the baby?" Peyton crossed her arms over her chest.

"Chris has just been great. He's been there for me through everything. He was there when Elizabeth died. He helped me get through that. I love him. I really do. I'm so grateful to have him in my life… I have to marry him. Plus, he'll never know the baby is Nathan's."

Peyton sighed. "Haley… As grateful as you are, you shouldn't have to thank someone for the rest of your life."

Brooke nodded in agreement. Haley knew Peyton was right. She had a tough decision to make.

TBC…

A/N: I promise, Naley will be happily ever after! Also, reviews make the author happy.


	9. Time Passing

**Summary**: Haley is about to get married when some unexpected news arrives. Very loosely based on 'Sweet Home Alabama.' Will Haley follow her heart or make the biggest mistake of her life?

**Disclaimer**: As much as it pains me to say, I do not own James Lafferty –ahem—I mean I do not own any of the characters of the show _One Tree Hill._ Damn you Mark Schwann.

**A/N: **I am SO sorry about the late update. I had major writer's block and rewrote this chapter two times. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. There will be two more chapters and the story will be done. Also, don't forget to check out _Devil Fever_. You can find the link in my profile. Enjoy!

_Flashback_

Present

_**Sometimes They Come Back**_

**Chapter Nine: Time Passing**

**Three months later…**

Haley walked into the small studio she owned in Los Angeles; she had to get some equipment from the studio on her way home. She had opened it after leaving Tree Hill three months prior. Despite everyone's wishes, Haley had married Chris and moved to Las Angeles with him. She was currently working on her first album while Chris was away playing venues and promoting his next album. Chris was back in town for a few days.

Haley went to unlock the door, but when she stuck the key in the lock she noticed the door was already open. Haley slowly pushed the door open and peeked in. "Hello?" She heard a rustling noise in the office. Haley entered the building and grabbed a metal candle stick off the table by the door. She slowly made her way farther into the room and saw a figure bent over going through the file cabinet.

"Hey," Haley made sure to stand back from the person. Pregnant women and dangerous situations were always bad.

"Oh, hey babe." Haley sighed and put the candle stick down when Chris turned around. "What're you doing here?"

"I had to get the contract for that band Anna signed last week. What are you doing up here? I thought you would have stopped by the house first." Haley set her purse down before going over to her desk and unlocking the bottom drawer. She pulled out a folder full of papers.

"Yeah. I was going to head over to the house after I got this file. Mark wants to set up a meeting with a band that opened for me in Florida." He pulled out a file and closed the file cabinet. He set the file by his things before sitting down and watching Haley. "How's our girl?"

Haley looked down at her stomach and felt a wave of guilt. "HE is fine. Doctor said everything looks normal and HE should be on time." Haley walked over and sat down next to Chris. "How was Florida, anyway?"

"It was pretty great… some tough crowds, but nothing too bad…" They spent the next thirty minutes talking about music and the baby.

"Chris… I need to tell you something…" His head was resting in her lap and he was staring at her stomach, occasionally leaving kisses on it. He looked up at her, curious.

"Yeah babe?" Haley was silent for a moment before speaking.

"When I was in Tree Hill, I did something—," Haley was cut off when Chris' cell phone rang. Chris looked down at the phone and got up when he saw who it was.

"I gotta take this…" Chris left the room and went into the studio so he could talk in private. Haley sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She winced when she felt the baby take a kidney shot. _'This kid will be the death of me.'_

Haley made a few calls while Chris was on his phone. She called Peyton to check on the baby and the airport to reserve a ticket to Tree Hill the next day. She had planned on visiting Peyton after the baby was born and hadn't gotten to, yet. She also planned on visiting Nathan while she was there. They needed to talk about the baby because Haley planned on telling Chris.

Chris was never around anymore and Haley was sick of it. She had gone to see her lawyer about getting a divorce last week. She couldn't stand living alone in a big, empty house with Chris home for one week every month. Even during that week, he spent most of it in the studio working on his next album.

Chris walked back into the room about twenty minutes later and sat down next to Haley. "What were you going to tell me?" Haley shook her head and looked at him.

"Nothing. It's not important. How long are you going to be home?" Haley put her phone back in her purse.

"Few days, why?" Haley looked at him, but he was busy texting someone, probably his manager. Haley sighed and stood up and gathered her things.

"I have to go. I need to go pack. I'm going to Tree Hill for a few days to visit Peyton." Chris stood up and walked over to her.

"You're leaving while I'm home?" Haley turned to him, anger written all over her face.

"Yeah, I'm leaving. Why should it matter? When you come home, you spend most of your time here. You're never home and you haven't been to one of the baby's appointments… ever! When are you going to actually spend time with your family?"

"I do spend time with you! Haley, you're being ridiculous." He walked over to her and tried to hug her, but she pulled away.

"No, you don't. You come here and then you come home and spend time working on your music. We haven't spent any quality time together in three months. I can't do this anymore, Chris. I need you to be here for me and for the baby." Haley was fighting to hold back the tears forming in her eyes. She hadn't been this mad in a long time. For the first time since getting married to Chris, she was regretting her decision.

"What do you expect, Haley? This is how I'm supporting us! I have to do these things…" Haley shook her head.

"You know what. No, you don't. Have you looked at the house we live in? And the other two we own?! We don't have money issues! You are just too obsessed with music that you forget about your family. I can't do this anymore, Chris. I talked to my lawyer about a divorce…" Haley looked up at Chris and screamed when he backhanded her.

"What the hell! You will not talk to me like that and you will not leave me! Do you get that? I support you and this baby! Don't ever try and pull something like that on me." Haley looked up at him shocked, but she refused to cry. She wouldn't let him bring her down.

"If you ever touch me again, I swear to God, I will kill you! I'm leaving tomorrow and I will not be coming back to you!" Haley grabbed her things and walked to the door. She turned back to Chris before leaving. "By the way, the baby isn't yours. I slept with Nathan while I was in Tree Hill. I never did love you, Chris and I regret ever marrying your sorry ass. Oh, and seeing as how I own this studio, you can get your shit out. I'm burning anything that's left when I get back."

**Twenty Four Hours Later…**

Haley made her way through the busy airport terminal to baggage claim. She had spent the night at the studio, not wanting to be near Chris. She had also gone to the police to file an assault charge against him.

Twenty minutes later, Haley pulled up in front of Peyton's house and put the car in park. She moved the seat back allowing room for her expanding belly before getting out of the car. She grabbed her purse and walked up to the door. She knocked on the door and waited. She could hear a baby crying inside the house and Peyton trying to shoosh the baby. A minute later, the door opened and Haley was met by Tim. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"Haley! Hey, how are you?" Tim pulled Haley into a hug and then stepped aside to let her in the house. Haley stepped in and closed the door behind her. Haley shrugged at Tim, letting him know she'd explain everything later. Tim nodded and walked over to the couch and sat down next to Peyton. Haley soon followed suit. The baby had stopped crying and was now lying against Peyton's chest, napping. She looked up and waved at Haley. "Hey," she whispered, not wanting to wake the baby. She went over to the couch and sat down next to Peyton. "How is she?"

"She's great. Healthy and happy. She cries a lot though." Peyton shrugged. "How are you doing with the pregnancy and Chris?"

"The pregnancy is great. However, the baby likes taking kidney shots." She shared a knowing glance with Peyton. "Chris, not so great. I filed for divorce the other day…"

"I'm sorry, Haley."

"No, you know what. It's fine. I don't really care anymore. I'm sick of Chris and him never being around. I can do without him."

Haley sat in front of the stone she was now familiar with. She flew out to Tree Hill twice a month now to visit Elizabeth. She had never run into Nathan and wondered if he even visited. During one of the visits, she had a new stone put in. It now read:

_Elizabeth Taylor Scott_

_July 5, 2003-July 6, 2003_

"_Mommy and Daddy Love You_

_Always and Forever_"

She was only going to change the quote, but Scott had been the last name on Elizabeth's birth certificate, so she had that changed, too. She spent the next twenty minutes talking to her about her sister and her daddy. She was about to leave when she heard footsteps nearby. She waited for them to pass, but when they didn't she looked up. The person standing next to her was Nathan.

"Hey," she smiled up at him. Nathan sat down next to her, but didn't say anything. They both sat in silence for a few minutes before Nathan spoke.

"How've you been?"

"I've been great." She nodded and looked at him. She knew she couldn't explain everything to him because their relationship was already complicated enough. "How have you been?" She pushed her hair behind her ear and looked back at the grave.

"Lonely, but I guess I've been okay. I come out here every day. I see you're pregnant again. Congratulations. You and Chris must be really happy." Haley scoffed at this.

"Yeah… Chris and I are not good. I filed for divorce the other day. The baby is great though, a little girl."

"I'm sorry…" Haley shook her head and looked at him. She smiled.

"No, you're not." Haley rested her hand on her stomach when the baby started kicking. "Wanna feel? He's kicking." Nathan nodded and Haley guided his hand to where the baby was kicking. His face seemed to light up when the baby kicked and Haley knew she was making the right choice. "Nathan, I have to tell you something."

"Yeah?" He looked at her and stopped her before she could speak. "Hales… Did he hit you?" Nathan reached out to touch her cheek and knew the answer when she flinched and looked away. "Haley… how long has this been going on?" She looked at him with tears in her eyes and nodded. Nathan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. They stayed that way for about fifteen minutes.

"Nathan?" Haley looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy. "The baby isn't Chris'. He's yours…" She felt Nathan tense and thought he was going to freak out. "I'm sorry for not telling you…"

"How are you sure it's mine?" Nathan moved away from Haley and looked at her sternly.

"Nathan… I'm positive." She couldn't believe him. How could he question her like that?

"Yeah, well, when you sleep with someone while you're engaged, who knows what that limits you to? Anyone else you think might be the father? Look Haley, you're getting a divorce and I'm not going to be the one you pin Chris' baby on. Got it?" Nathan stood up and walked away from her. Haley sat there in disbelief as tears started to form in her eyes.

TBC…


	10. James Lucas Scott

**Summary**: Haley is about to get married when some unexpected news arrives. Very loosely based on 'Sweet Home Alabama.' Will Haley follow her heart or make the biggest mistake of her life?

**Disclaimer**: As much as it pains me to say, I do not own James Lafferty –ahem—I mean I do not own any of the characters of the show _One Tree Hill._ Damn you Mark Schwann.

**A/N: **This will be the second to last chapter. That's right, only one more after this! It will be a short one, but that's because originally this was supposed to be the last chapter. Thanks to everyone who's been sending in reviews. You guys rock! Don't forget to check out _Devil Fever_ and I'll be posting a oneshot that I'm working on in a few days. Oh and I used the lyrics to 'When You're Gone' by Avril Lavigne in this chapter.

_Flashback_

Present

_**Sometimes They Come Back**_

**Chapter Ten: James Lucas Scott**

**Two and a Half Months Later…**

Haley sat at the counter in Karen's Café, a water bottle in one hand and a pen in the other. She was peering down at a blank piece of paper. Her most recent CD had debuted the day before and she was trying to write some new music. Haley looked up when someone set a coffee pot down next to her hand. She smiled when she saw Karen.

"Hey," she said, removing her glasses and setting down her pen.

"Hey kiddo. What are you up to? By the way, I like the hair." She looked down at the paper in front of Haley. Haley had dyed her hair a reddish brown and cut it to her shoulders. She wore it straight now, rather than her usual loose curls.

"I'm attempting to write a song, however, it's not going as planned." She sighed. "I just don't understand it. My last album was a breeze, but ever since this whole divorce from Chris and Nathan denying any paternal connections to this child," she laid her hand on her stomach, "I just don't have any inspiration." At the very moment her cell phone started ringing. Haley looked down at the caller ID and saw it was her manager. She flipped open the phone and brought it up to her ear.

"Hey Marcus. What's up?" He was the last person she wanted to talk to right now. He had been trying to persuade her to drop the charges against Chris. She refused to allow that abusive ass of a man to roam free and make some other girl's life a living hell. They were supposed to be in court in a month and Haley was nervous seeing as how the baby was due in two weeks.

"Haley, I think you might wanna turn the radio on…. Now." Haley furrowed her eyebrows and closed the phone.

"Hey Karen. Can you turn up the radio?"

Karen nodded and picked up the remote to the stereo system. "Who was that?" She asked as she hit the volume up button on the remote.

"My manager." Haley's eyes lit up when she heard the DJ making an announcement on the radio.

"_Yesterday, Haley James released her second album, 'This Is Me' and it has already sold 50,000 copies! It's amazing how successful this young woman is. In the past month, she has left her husband and is now due in court to testify against him on charges of assault and endangerment to a child. She is due with her first child next month and things may be looking up with the immediate success of her latest album. Off her new album, here is 'When you're Gone' by Haley James…"_

Seconds later, the sounds of a piano filled the café, followed by Haley's soft voice. Tears filled her eyes, but not because her CD was a hit, but because of the song playing. She had written it right after leaving Nathan and Tree Hill to marry Chris.

_I always needed time on my own_

_I never thought I'd need you there when I cried_

_And the days feel like years when I'm alone_

_And the bed where you lie_

_Is made up on your side_

_When you walk away_

_I count the steps that you take_

_Do you see how much I need you right now?_

_When you're gone_

_The pieces of my heart are missing you_

_When you're gone_

_The face I came to know is missing too_

_When you're gone_

_The words I need to hear to always get me through the day_

_And make it okay_

_I miss you_

_I've never felt this way before_

_Everything that I do_

_Reminds me of you_

_And the clothes you left_

_They lie on the floor_

_And they smell just like you_

_I love the things that you do_

_When you walk away_

_I count the steps that you take_

_Do you see how much I need you right now?_

_When you're gone_

_The pieces of my heart are missing you_

_When you're gone_

_The face I came to know is missing too_

_When you're gone_

_The words I need to hear to always get me through the day_

_And make it ok_

_I miss you_

_We were made for each other_

_Out here forever_

_I know we were_

_Yeah, yeah_

_And all I ever wanted was for you to know_

_Everything I do I give my heart and soul_

_I can hardly breathe I need to feel you here with me_

_Yeah_

_When you're gone_

_The pieces of my heart are missing you_

_When you're gone_

_The face I came to know is missing too_

_When you're gone_

_The words I need to hear will always get me through the day_

_And make it ok_

_I miss you_

"Wow, Haley. I'm impressed." Karen handed Haley, who was busy trying to wipe the tears from her eyes, a tissue. "You wanna talk about it?"

Haley looked up at her. "Karen, as if Lucas hasn't told you what's going on." Haley ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "I just wish Nathan would listen, you know? He won't even take a freaking paternity test." Karen walked around the counter and hugged Haley.

"I promise things will get better for you. You just have to be patient. Besides, once he sees that beautiful baby you two made, he'll come to his senses." Haley smiled.

"Thanks Karen, but at this point, I don't know what it'll take to make him listen. I know I screwed up, but it's not as if he's perfect either."

"We all make mistakes Haley. We just have to decide which ones are worth it." Haley nodded.

"Sleeping with Nathan wasn't a mistake. It was probably the best thing I did in my life. Not because, I slept with him, but because I have another chance to be a mom. I never would have had kids with Chris. He was always too busy with his music to care about starting a family."

"It's a shame that he didn't see what was in front of him. I'm sorry that you had to marry him in order to realize that he wasn't the one for you." Haley shrugged.

"I knew he wasn't the one for me the whole time. I just felt like I owed it to him to marry him because he was there for me after I lost Elizabeth. You understand, right? Keith was there for you when Dan walked out of yours and Lucas' lives. Except that, you actually loved Keith."

"Haley, you have to be patient. You'll see."

Whitey Durham made his way through the Tree Hill Cemetery, roses in hand. He visited Camilla every day. Occasionally he would visit Keith and Elizabeth, as well. He may not have known Haley very well, but he knew she had lost a baby. She had gone to visit him after seeing Nathan with Rachel.

_Whitey sat in his office going over new plays for the team. They were playing in the state championship the next week and Whitey wanted to make sure the team was prepared. There was a soft knock on the door. Whitey looked up and smiled when he saw who it was._

"_Haley James Scott. How've you been?" He motioned for her to sit down, which she did. He could tell she had been crying; her eyes were red and puffy._

"_If I say fine, will you believe me?" She laughed slightly. _

"_Oh dear, what happened?" Haley looked away and then went on to explain what had happened when she had gone to visit Nathan to tell him about the baby._

Whitey spent fifteen minutes talking to Camilla about everything from basketball to his nearing retirement. Whitey had decided to coach for another eight years after Lucas and Nathan had graduated. Since then, his team had won three more state championships. Whitey looked up and saw a figure over near Keith's grave. He couldn't figure out who it was because he didn't know anyone with short, brown hair. Whitey started to walk over to the person and as he got closer, he realized who it was.

"Miss James. Why is it every time I see you, you're crying and pregnant?" Haley looked up and wiped her eyes. She smiled and walked over to hug Whitey.

"Hey you crazy old man. How the hell have you been?"

"I've been great. I was just visiting Camilla and saw a stranger over here. I like what you did with your hair."

"Thanks. It helps with avoiding Nathan." She laughed slightly.

"Still pulling a Dan?"

"Oh no. Dan acknowledged Lucas as his child. He just didn't act on it. Nathan won't even acknowledge the baby. Hence the crying and I wish Elizabeth was here to meet her new brother or sister."

Whitey looked down at the small stone. "I think Nathan will come around. He just needs time."

Haley nodded. The two stood in silence for a few minutes. All of a sudden Haley doubled over, clutching her stomach.

"Oh no…" This couldn't be happening. She wasn't due for another two weeks.

"Haley, are you okay?" Whitey moved closer.

"No. I think I'm having my baby." She looked up at Whitey, a panicked look on her face.

Whitey helped Haley stand up straight. "Okay, I'm taking you to the hospital missy."

Whitey and Haley entered the hospital and were met with Peyton, Lucas, Tim, Brooke and the kids.

"Oh my god. Haley, are you okay?" Brooke rushed over, looking very concerned.

"Uh huh," was all Haley managed to get out.

Peyton rushed over as well. "I'm going to go find a doctor. Yup." She nodded before running over to the counter with three nurses behind it. Haley shook her head as Whitey helped her over to the counter.

The nurse looked up at her and walked around the counter. "Ma'am, when are you due?"

"Uh, two weeks. Oh…" She clenched her teeth when another wave of pain ran through her body.

"Okay, I'm going to take you to get ready for delivery." She quickly walked down the hall and grabbed a wheelchair and came back. Whitey and the nurse helped Haley into the wheelchair, and the nurse wheeled her away.

"I hope she's okay," Brooke said, hugging Lucas.

Twenty minutes later, Haley was in a room surrounded by doctors with Brooke by her side. She grabbed Brooke's hand and squeezed, willing the pain to go away. Brooke tried to yank her hand away.

"Ow, tutor mom. You're squeezing too hard!" Haley gave Brooke a death glare, threatening her to keep whining. "Okay, it's fine."

The doctor came in and looked over Haley's chart and did a quick exam to check the baby's progress.

"Miss James, you're fully dilated and it looks as if the baby is starting to crown, so this should be quite easy. I just need you to focus and listen. Okay?"

Haley nodded and then looked at Brooke.

"Call Nathan."

Haley lay in bed later that night with her son, James Lucas Scott, in her arms. She smiled down at the little boy. She couldn't be happier. The delivery had taken about three hours and Brooke and Peyton had taken turns holding Haley's hand. Brooke was convinced her hand was broken. Peyton had told her stop bitching, throwing Haley off on her breathing, which resulted in her screaming at them.

After the baby was delivered, they had all taken turns holding him. The girls had gushed over him calling him 'handsome' and 'charming.' The guys had simply said he looked like a baby, claiming all babies look the same.

Haley yawned and was growing sleepy so she pushed the button next to her bed, calling the nurse in. The nurse came in and took James from her and left the room. It was only 7:00 PM, but Haley was wiped out from the delivery. She soon drifted off to sleep.

Nathan walked down the corridor of the maternity ward. Brooke had called him about two hours ago and he had finally worked up the courage to come to the hospital. As much as he wanted to deny it, a part of him knew this child was his. He just had to see for himself. He made his way over to the glass and peered into the room full of babies and nurses tending to them. A nurse walked out and approached him.

"Sir, can I help you?" Nathan looked up, startled.

"Yeah. Haley James gave birth to a baby today… Could I see the baby?" The nurse looked at him hesitantly.

"Are you family?" Nathan didn't know what to say. However, he didn't have to say anything.

"He's fine." Nathan looked up and saw Brooke walking over to him. "He's family."

Nathan nodded at her, as if to say thank you. The nurse nodded and then went back into the nursery to get James.

"Thanks for coming Nate."

"I had to. I have to know Brooke."

"You should already know. I'm disappointed in you. How could you do that to Haley? She trusted you and you called her a liar." Nathan looked away, ashamed. He was about to speak when the nurse came up to him and placed the tiny baby in his arms.

Tears began to form in his eyes as he looked down into eyes that were all too familiar to him. He was a spitting image of his father. He looked at Brooke. "What's his name?"

"James Lucas Scott. He was born at 5:08 PM and weighs six pounds, three ounces. He was born two weeks premature." Nathan nodded.

"I'm going to make this right. I need her in my life. I just pushed her away because she hurt me." He looked down at his son, who was peacefully sleeping.

"Nathan, you and Haley have always given me hope. No matter how long you were apart, you were always in love and everyone could see it. Hell, I'm sure Chris figured it out. Anyway, the point is, you two are meant for each other. I know you two will work it out and be great parents to this handsome young man."

Nathan nodded. "I have to do something." Brooke nodded and took James from him. She smiled as he walked away. Brooke looked down at James. "Everything's gonna be just fine, huh?"

James made a gurgling sound in response.

TBC…


	11. Always and Forever

**Summary**: Haley is about to get married when some unexpected news arrives. Very loosely based on 'Sweet Home Alabama.' Will Haley follow her heart or make the biggest mistake of her life?

**Disclaimer**: As much as it pains me to say, I do not own James Lafferty –ahem—I mean I do not own any of the characters of the show _One Tree Hill._ Damn you Mark Schwann.

**A/N: Decided not to rewrite. **Thank you to everyone who has supported this fic. It means a lot to me as a new author and just as a person. I've enjoyed writing this story very much and yes, it was a pain in the ass and I did want to give up on it quite a few times, but you all encouraged me to keep writing and I did. So, thank you so much and enjoy. Oh and, this chapter is a lot shorter than all my others, but it's how I feel MY story should end. This picks up six months later.

Oh, and a motif is a short musical phrase.

_Flashback_  
Present

_**Sometimes They Come Back**_  
**Chapter Eleven: Always and Forever**

Nathan quickly made his way down the hallway of the maternity ward. He had decided to try and make things work with Haley. He knew he had been wrong in accusing her of lying about the baby, but he had been too shocked at the cemetery to react any other way. Haley was after all, technically married. Her divorce with Chris hadn't been finalized yet and Nathan just assumed James was Chris'.

Nathan exited the maternity ward and walked over to the elevator. He pressed the down button and waited patiently. He could hear babies crying and watched the nurses hurry around the lobby and down the halls, tending to the babies. He smiled at the thought of James. He looked exactly like his daddy; big blue eyes and a slight cleft in his chin. He had his mother's nose, which Nathan was thankful for. He had a full head of light brown hair, too.

Nathan didn't notice the ding of the elevator when it stopped. He was brought out of his thoughts when a group of people entered the elevator and one bumped into him. He quickly excused himself and exited the elevator. Nathan walked down the hallway towards Haley's room, but before he could get to the door, he was stopped by a nurse.

"Sir, you can't go in there. Visiting hours are over."

"I need to see her. It's important…"

* * *

Six Months Later…

Haley sat on the long black couch that rested against the wall in her small in-home recording studio. Her guitar lay next to her and she peered through her glasses down at the small crib in front of her. James slept quietly, occasionally making gurgling noises that he had become quite famous for making. Haley smiled and looked down at the notebook in her lap. The page was covered with motifs and random doodles of what only Haley would call baby James; to others, it would seem to be a baby monkey or just a blob. Haley never could draw.

She had begun recording another album and was working on the last song. It was due out in two months, with the single already making its way to the top of the billboards. However, this song, she was having trouble with. She looked down at the gold band on her left ring finger and smiled. She missed him so much and everyday made it harder, but she knew she could do it. That night at the hospital had made everything clear and Haley knew she had done the right thing.

She was jarred from her thoughts when the front door of the house opened. A few minutes later, Brooke came bouncing into the room, a huge smile on her face.

"Hey Tutor Mom!" Brooke sat down and looked at James. "Can I touch him?"

"No. He's sleeping." Haley gave Brooke a stern look when she tried to pick up James anyways. Brooke put her arms in the air.

"Excuse me. He'll fall asleep again." Haley simply glared. "Fine. Anyways, wanna know why I came over?" The grin on her face grew bigger.

"To see me, of course…" Brooke looked at Haley as if she'd grown two heads. "Yeah… didn't think so. What's up, Brooke?" Haley removed her glasses and set them down on her notebook.

"I just talked to my agent and they want to open a 'Clothes over Bros' in Paris!" Haley just nodded. "Tutor Mom! This is exciting! You should be excited!"

"Brooke… I am excited. This means more cute clothes for James, but you already have four international stores." Brooke looked at her bewildered.

"Haley, this is Paris we're talking about… Paris! It's like fashion capital of the world." Haley nodded.

"Congratulations…"

"You still miss him, don't you?"

"Yeah. It'll pass. Plus, I only have one more week until I start all the promoting for the album. Until then, I have James and my music." Haley smiled and then looked up when she heard the front door open again. "Is Peyton coming over, too?"

Brooke shook her head and got up. "I'll go see who it is." A minute later the door to the studio reopened and Haley looked up. When she saw who it was she leapt off the couch and ran to them.

"Nathan! What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to get home for another week!" Nathan hugged Haley and lowered his head to kiss her.

"Shh. You're gonna wake James."

"So what? He'll go back to sleep." She smiled and kissed him again. "Oh, I missed you."

"I miss you, too, Hales and I'm home early because we lost. It was close though." Haley smiled and sat back down on the couch. Nathan went over to the crib and picked up James. He sat down next to Haley and watched her work.

_Nathan knocked on the door to Haley's hospital room and then entered slowly. Haley looked up and then looked back down at her magazine, but not before casting Nathan a glare. He sat down in the chair by her bed and neither of them spoke. Haley continued flipping through the magazine, each turn of the page becoming more aggressive until she got too frustrated and hurled it across the room. _

"_What are you doing here?" She gave Nathan a stern look and crossed her arms over her chest. _

"_I wanted to talk to you." His gaze was fixed on the floor. He couldn't look at Haley and not see pain in her eyes, and it was killing him. "I messed up, Hales."_

"_Yeah, you did! You walked out on me and OUR child. You saw him, right? You believe me now?!"_

"_Yes…" He kept his head down and a tear rolled down his cheek and onto the floor._

"_Nathan, look at me."_

"_Haley… I'm so sorry." Nathan looked up at her and the tears began pouring down his face. "I was just so frustrated when you told me about Elizabeth and then the baby. I couldn't handle it. It was too much and I reacted the wrong way. When I saw James tonight… I knew I was an idiot, but I also knew before then."_

_Haley gave him a half smile and took his hand. "I know I kind of sprung it on you, but I didn't mean to." Nathan nodded and the two fell silent. They stayed that way until the nurse came in and made Nathan leave._

Nathan smiled when he thought of that night. They had begun to work things out and the next few months had been hard and full of many fights, but they had worked through it and gotten married three months later.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Nathan looked over at Haley.

"Just about how much I love you and James." Haley smiled.

"I love you, too." James gurgled. "Oh yes, and you too baby." She bent over and kissed the infant on his forehead. "Always and forever," she whispered.

**The end.**


End file.
